Mike Cline
Real Name: Michael Lewis Cline Aliases: Mike Cline Wanted For: Murder Missing Since: July 27, 1970 Case Details: Mike Cline is wanted for the brutal murder of his eighteen-year-old fiancee, Jo Ellen Weigel. The couple had been together for about a year and had recently graduated from Lee's Summitt High School together. Cline came from a rich and prominent family while Jo's family was working-class. On the night of July 2, 1970, they went out on a date. She told her parents that she planned to spend the night at a friend's house. Before leaving, the two argued for about twenty minutes. It is not known what the argument was about. When Jo did not return the next day, her family became concerned. They contacted her friend and Cline; both gave conflicting responses about Jo's whereabouts. He first said that they had married and she had gone to visit a relative. However, when the relative said that she was not there, he changed the story, claiming that he did not know where she went. The Weigels contacted police, but were told that a missing persons report could not be filed yet. Three days later on July 5, her partially-clothed body was found floating in Lake Winnebago. It had been weighed down with a concrete block and water jugs. An autopsy determined that she had been strangled. It also showed that she was four months pregnant. A ski rope was found tied around her legs; it was identical to rope found on the Cline family speedboat. The concrete block was determined to have come from his friend's home. In his car, investigators found Jo's hair wrapped in a towel. The hair had been forcibly pulled out by the roots. Cline left for a trip to Europe on the same day Jo's body was found. When he returned, he was questioned by investigators. However, he was not forthcoming with information due to advice from his attorneys. On July 24, a grand jury indicted him for Jo's murder. However, he vanished before he could be arrested. Investigators believe he attended college under an assumed name in the early 1970s. They also believe he is now working in the medical field, possibly as a veterinarian. At the time, he was 5'9", weighed 130 pounds, and had brown hair and hazel eyes. Extra Notes: The case was featured as a part of a FBI alert on the September 19, 1990 episode, along with Raymond Scoville, Michael Lassen, and Thomas Geers. Results: Wanted. Investigators believe that Cline's family helped him escape. His father died in 1988. There are rumors that place him in Latin America. If he is still alive, he would be in his late sixties. Sadly, Jo's parents have since passed away. Links: * Woman's body identified * Girl a victim of strangler * FBI is seeking Michael Cline, indicted in murder * Youth charged in Weigel case * Youth Indicted in Girl's Strangulation * Manhunt turns to world effort * Search for accused killer still on: FBI * Cold case about teen love gone bad haunts detective * The Lake Winnebago body * SitcomsOnline Discussion of Mike Cline (includes article) * Jo Ellen Weigel on Find a Grave ---- Category:Missouri Category:1970 Category:Murder Category:Wanted Category:Lake-Related Cases